we will need every bit of support we can get from China to avoid global economic meltdown.

Nobody in power cares. The rich get richer when the economy goes to hell. And it’s not like China is in any position to collect on defaulted debts. They’ll just keep complaining about how we hurt their feelings.

]]>By: donniebnychttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164563
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164563GWB sold this country to China to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and an unnecessary war. Presidents of both parties will be kissing China’s ass for decades because they have no choice.

GWB = worst president ever!

]]>By: querenthttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164308
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164308Earning that Novel Peace Price.
]]>By: TabulaRasahttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164311
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164311Well, it’s always wiser not to bite the hand that feeds you. Without China buying US Bonds that would mean lots of more trouble for the US Dollar.
Obama is just a politician, like the guys that came before him and will come after him.
]]>By: Anonymoushttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164314
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164314Now what is more important for Obama is not to loss any of his potential supporters for re-election. If he is not president what it does matter to Obama that China continue to buy our debts or not, who cares which direction US economy is heading to? Anyway, Obama already has a lot of money in his porcket.
]]>By: jaytkayhttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164316
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164316Why does China care about Tibetan independence?

Wouldn’t this be like Guam separating from the US?

]]>By: Sam125http://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164320
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164320Well, I’m not an apologist but these are all pre-2008 problems and aren’t Obama’s fault. If you want to blame the originator, blame Nixon for even opening relations with China which led to this dysfunctional US/China co-dependency.

But it makes you wonder why China wants Tibet so much. It’s an insignificant country full of monks with an aging exiled leader.

]]>By: j9chttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164577
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164577Reading this photo, and I could be completely wrong here, I glean:

— In fact, the visit’s so totally not official our president has removed his tie. Heck, this is not even a “State Visit”–no state dinner, no Marine Band playing “Hail to His Holiness” on the tarmac, no aides present, do not pass go do not collect $200–so when the Chinese want to complain (for the nth time) that the U.S. is recognizing H.H.D.L. as some legitimate head of a foreign gov’t we’ve got a smidge of plausible deniability. It was a “private meeting” and dudes we didn’t even sign any papers, mmm’k?

— Politics is a game. It’s chess. Both of these men have gone on the record supporting Tibetan autonomy over independence because (among other things) there are circles within circles of dealings here we are not privy to. During his own presidential administration, Clinton played this game too, and handed out 1000 U.S. visas (complete with green cards) for Tibetans who largely went on to become U.S. citizens. Who the hell knows what kinda deals are going down that they can’t–sheesh, won’t–talk about? Ever hear of the CIA arming Tibetan rebels in Mustang province during the Chinese invasion of Tibet? Go look it up. We were involved, with precious little fanfare, and I can understand why.

IMO the Chinese are waiting for H.H. to die before pulling their next #sarcasm brilliant move /sarcasm re: total dominance of the Tibetan Plateau and its resources. H.H. has no illusions here–he knows what he’s dealing with wrt Chinese government. He was informed personally by Mao Zedong in 1954 that “religion is poison,” has watched the Panchen Lama’s imprisonment and manipulation by the Chinese government, and has witnessed firsthand and secondhand slaughter of Tibetans who oppose Chinese rule (a bodycount of 1,000,000+) or even Chinese [thought] control (in 2008, unrest in the region < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Tibetan_unrest>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Tibetan_unrest). To this day, it remains a punishable offense to possess any photo of the Dalai Lama in any area controlled by the Chinese.

Ham-fisted as the Chinese have been at playing this deadly and stupid chess game, the outcomes so far have been… interesting, to paraphrase the old curse attributed to some Chinese aphorism. Smashing Tibetan culture has been, for the Chinese government, like stepping on a water balloon. The droplets have scattered far beyond anyone’s control, and for better or worse, Tibetan Buddhism among other things has spread much farther and wider than Mao Zedong would have ever dreamed. Sure, Tibetan culture itself is now a horrible mess, subverted and manipulated in bad bad ways that defy words. Tibetans continue to suffer (stoicism and suffering quietly is a deeply-admired trait in Asia; I speak as a half-Asian), though it’s never front page news here in the West.

But this game ain’t over yet.

Even as Chinese minders (sometimes posing as monks, sometimes blatantly not) have been placed in Tibetan monasteries, ensuring monasteries remain active sources of tourist revenue even if the monks themselves are not welcome to follow their religious practices or studies, ordinary Chinese citizens have been covertly contacting the monks, asking for religious instruction. These Chinese have sensed that something in their lives is amiss, and maybe, just maybe, those monks may be able to help them somehow. Imagine for a minute being a Tibetan monk and being approached by people whose government killed a million of your people, and now want your help, and they are relying on your compassion to give it to them, compassion that their own government neither fosters nor promotes. Read that Ai Wei-Wei piece from this week? Prison guards doing what to him the entire time? At least he was highly prominent, otherwise they probably woulda just beat the crap out of him.

I realize there are plenty of nonreligious folks here who may not like or agree with the religious aspects of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, Buddhism, etc. I argue here that there’s is still plenty to learn from this culture, and this man, who have learned much about adversity and who still teach compassion, which is laudable and doesn’t require any belief in god, God, Gawd, or Supreme Creator.

Xeni, thanks as always for bringing us the Tibetan news round up. Some of us out here, we’re awake. We notice. And we’re grateful for what you’re doing and what your bring to our attention.

]]>By: Anonymoushttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164586
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164586“gwb worst president ever”
at last someone actually who broke USA
BTW, the same bunch as GWB are gaining power AGAIN in US!
You guys just never learn
]]>By: gobohttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164332
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164332Lots of misplaced butthurt here. As Sam says, Obama’s inherited decades of this crap; did you expect him to reverse the US policy overnight? I’d also point out that given the Dalai Lama’s retirement as political leader, he’s simply a very well-known spiritual leader. Not a leader in exile.
]]>By: Otanahttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164346
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164346Such a charming display of compassion from some commenters here. Do the rights of a country not exist when their land is not big enough for your liking?

I’m saddened by this. I hope President Obama makes clear his position not on freedom for Tibet, but on negotiating for autonomy within the PRC. His statement is vague in that regard.

]]>By: Neon Toothhttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164603
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164603GWB? It’s hardly all his fault. Free trade neoliberals run this country and both parties as well. Republicans head to the cliff about 20 mph faster, but Democrats are driving the same direction too.
]]>By: Anonymoushttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164605
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164605What are ‘sovereignty’ and ‘human rights’? Oh, it doesn’t matter? OK, China, we got your back.
]]>By: Jonathan Badgerhttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164352
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164352There is a practical difference between autonomy and independence — they aren’t the same thing. For example, in Ukraine there is the Autonomous Republic of Crimea for the Crimean Tatars. It has a large degree of self-rule but is still part of Ukraine. This sort of thing is more realistic for Tibet than independence.
]]>By: Mark Temporishttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164362
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164362The President isn’t wearing a tie? Really? That’s insulting?

You did see what the other guy is wearing, right? Somehow I don’t think he’ll mind.

]]>By: epi_momhttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164366
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164366HH the Dalai Lama has said on several occasions (once that I had the opportunity to hear myself, this past May) that the thing he likes most about Americans is our lack of pretense and unnecessary formality. If anything, I imagine Pres. Obama’s appearance was appreciated.

Also: hasn’t the administration effectively said this before?

]]>By: Anonymoushttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164626
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164626Why be surprised that the President has caved in to pressure from China. He’s caved into the Republicans all through out his presidency.
]]>By: Antinous / Moderatorhttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164372
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164372

But it makes you wonder why China wants Tibet so much. It’s an insignificant country full of monks with an aging exiled leader.

His body language not so much. His face is to Tibet, but his legs are crossed in the opposite direction, presumably toward Beijing. His arm is gripping the arm of the chair at an extraordinarily awkward angle, as if he’s about to hurl himself away. He’s a postural chimera, with 30% of his body toward the Dalai Lama and 70% trying to skedaddle.

Put yourself in the position and see what it feels like.

]]>By: freddy nonohttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164385
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164385I wish Obama wouldn’t do stuff like this. I thought when I voted for him in 2008 he’d be different on issues like this.

I suppose he’s in a tough position here. But it just makes me mad. Maybe he can do better after 2012.

]]>By: Jake0748http://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164393
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164393…”United States does not support independence for Tibet”…

Fuck that shit. I am 1/300,000,000th of the United States and I beg to disagree. Why CAN’T they be independent?

]]>By: Elvis Pelthttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164396
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164396Reason #9,000 Obama has given me the buyer’s remorse. What a tool. I do blame myself, after all he was a US senator.
]]>By: masamunecyrushttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164918
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164918I don’t see what all the hippies in this discussion are freaking out about. Tibet is a part of the People’s Republic of China by nearly every standard international measure. No, it has not “always been a part of China” as the idiots in the PRC government claim, but it is, now, and there’s little in the way of arguing against it. As far as I know, the US has never supported Tibetian independence (at least not in my lifetime), and it doesn’t support it now. The statement about that the US does not support Tibetian independence is not so much bending over for China as it is reiterating obvious long-standing US policy. Even the Dalai Lama has given up independence.

Our business is the upholding of human rights, and the US frequently (although the Obama administration markedly less-so) complains to China about its dismal human rights record, especially so in Tibet, including, among other things, the oppression/eradication of Tibetian culture and identity as well as political human rights violations.

]]>By: Anonymoushttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164921
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164921China will never loosen it’s grip on Tibet. Two words – “fresh water”.
]]>By: Anonymoushttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164666
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164666Well we back all the third world countries wanting democracy.
Libya,Egypt,Syria, etc. ALL MUSLIM. what about standing up for Tibet? Why do we have to kiss China’s backside? We buy all our stuff from them because the EPA and the UNIONS of the US have ruined our competitiveness. I guess it is a way to eliminate Chinese by letting them die from diseases from manufacturing than Americans. ALL we are left here are LAZY, FAT, SOCIALIST Americans that want handouts. Hopefully this will change as soon as the roadblocks are removed. We need to become independent again and quit relying on the rest of the world.
]]>By: Anonymoushttp://boingboing.net/2011/07/16/obama-meets-with-dal.html#comment-1164931
Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000#comment-1164931Remember when US officials told us they didnt want Kosovo to be an independent country in 1999? Yeah.
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